Rudolf eickemeyer



4 Shets-sheet 1.

(No Model.)

R. EICKEMEYER, Decd.

I R, EICKEMEYER, JR, Executor. HAT 0R FELT POUIIGING MAUHINE. No.565,158 Patented Aug. 4, 1896.-

(No Model.)

- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. R. EIOKEMEYER, Deod.

R. EICKEMEYER, JR, Executor. HAT 0R FELT POUN GING MACHINE;

No. 565,158. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

95' I 0 iv enior:

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 3'.

R. EIOKEMEYER, Decd R. EIGKEMEYER, JR", Executor. HAT 0R FELT POUNGINGMACHINE.

No. 565,158. Patented Aug. 4, 1896'.

I .9 L v I if I a766 Elven/fir: 3219/ @a/ 41 W (No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 4.

- R. EIOKEMEYER, Deod'.

, R. EIGKEMEYER, JR, Executor. KAT 0P. FELT POUNGING MAGHINE.

No. 565,158. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.-

present improvements pertain.

geared together.

UNITED STATES RUDOLF EICKEMEYER, OF YONKERS,

PATENT EEicE,

NE\V YORK; RUDOLF EICKEMEYER,

HAT OR FELT POUNCING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,158, dated August4, 1896.

Application an October 31, 1593.

To all 1072/0121, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLF EICKEMEYER, of Yonkers, in the county ofWVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hat or Felt Pouncing Machines; and I do hereby declarethat the following specification, taken inconnection with the drawingsfurnished and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and completedescription of my invent-ion.

The object of my present improvements is to provide a highly efficientpouncing-machine for securing, in a better manner, certain practicalresults attainable in the use of pouncing-machiues as heretofore devisedand patented to me, and my invention involves a reorganization of theseveral essential elements of said machines.

For clearly indicating the status of my said improvements I will referto such of my Letters Patent as will afford a reliable knowledge as tothe prior art with special reference to the class of pouncing-machinesto which my In a machine disclosed in my Letters Patcnt No. 148,680 thepouncing-cylinder and the feed-rolls were mounted upon a bed-plateadapted for service on a bench or table, and said poun'cing-cylinder andfeed-rolls were arranged to be operated by separate belting, and driveneither from a floor-shaft beneath the bench or an overhead shaftsuspended from the ceiling of a room. The feed-rolls in said machinewere mounted in a feed-roll frame hinged at its inner end upon a movablevertical pivot rod or stud, and thus secured to the bed-plate, so thatthe rolls could be swung laterally and moved longitudinally, and the twofeed-roll shafts were directly In another machine, disclosed in myLetters Patent No. 240,311, the pouncing-cylinder and feed-ro1ls weremounted in a main frame, which also contained a main driving-shaft fromwhich the pouncing cylinder and feed-rolls were driven by belts, but insaid machine the feed-roll shafts were not directly geared together, butinvolved the use of intermediate idler-gears, and the feedroll frame,although capable of longitudinal movement, was not hinged to the mainframe, (as in the first machine referred to,) and the Serial No.489,637. (No model.)

belting from the main shaft was applied to a counter-shaft from whichpower was communicated to the feed-rolls by gearing.

In my new machines I have so organized the working elements in and witha main frame as to secure the advantages due to the hinged feed'rollframe, the direct gearing of the two feed-roll shafts, and the directdriving of one feed-roll shaft by a belt without intermediate gearing,the machine as a whole being quite compact and highly efficient.

In neither of the prior machines referred to was any provision made forso separating or opening the feed-rolls as to enable the ready andaccurate placing of a hat-body therein before allowing the rolls toassume control over it. In still another machine, however, thisprovision was made by me, as disclosed in my Letters Patent No. 182,908,wherein reciprocating pouncing-plates were employed instead of arevolving pouncingcylinder. In this last-named machine the feedrollswere directly geared together, and one feed-roll shaft was driven bygearing from a vertical shaft, and the feed-roll frame was hinged at itsinner end upon vertical pivots, so as to operate in that respect as inthe machine of Patent No. 143,680. The upper feed-roll shaft in saidmachine had its bearings in an. upper frame-arm, which at its inner endwas hinged to a lower arm on a horizontal transverse pivot, these twoarms constituting a feed-roll frame, and the feedrolls were separated bymeans of a treadle and a thrust-rod connected to an outer portion of thefeed-roll frame. A similar thrustrod from the same treadle alsosimultaneously lifted the upper pouncing-plate head from the lowerplate. In that machine the biting effect of the feed-rolls was due to aweight carried by the upper arm, and the lifting,,or opening movement ofthe feed-rolls by way of the treadle had therefore no adverse effectupon the vertical hinge-bearings by which the feed-roll frame wasmounted on the main frame. In the machine of Patent No. 148,680 thebiting effect of the feed-rolls was secured by means of a heavy springinterposed between the upper arm of the feedroll frame and the underside of a strap-link which was pivoted to the lower arm; and,

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therefore, however the spring might be adjusted, the action of saidfeed-rolls was variable, in that they would engage more firmly with athick hat-body or piece of felt than with a thin one, as distinguishedfrom the weight-controlled feed-rolls, which action was of courseconstant or non-variable. This variable biting action of the feed-rollsis of practical value in a pouncing-machine, and hence in my presentmachine I employ the aforesaid strap-link and spring, and for separatingthe feed-rolls for the introduction of a hat-body the power of thatspring must be overcome, however heavily adjusted the spring may be.

It is now to be understood that the vertical rod or stud on which thefeed-roll frame is hinged is a movable stud on an arm which is in turnpivoted to the main frame, and that to lift the upper arm of thefeed-roll frame by means of a treadle and a thrust-rod connecting thetreadle with the upper arm of said frame, as in the machine of my PatentNo. 182,908, would involve a lifting strain upon the lower arm by way ofthe connecting-strap and spring, and a consequent lateral and rearwardstraining of the vertical hinge-joint, as well as of the second pivotalconnection, by which the vertical stud is connected with the main frame,and all of this must have first occurred before the upper roll could belifted at all, because that movement is only possible during the actualcompression of the spring. This frequent upward to-and-fro straining ofthe hinged and pivoted connections would be conducive not only toobjectionable vibrations, because the machine is operated at very highspeed, but it would also tend to undue wear, and to loosen the bearingsat said hinged or pivoted connections, and hence I have now so organizedtreadle mechanism that the rolls can be separated without any upwardstrains upon the lower arm of the feed-roll frame, and without vary ingthe supporting relations of either the hinged bearin gs with respect oftheir vertical stud or of the pivotal connection by which said stud isrendered movable for longitudinally varying the position of thefeedrolls. In other words, I have now mounted 011 the lower arm of thefeed-roll frame a lever which at one end is connected to the upper armby a thrust bar or link, and at the other end said lever is connectedwith a treadle by means of a draft rod or link, so that the downwardpressure on the treadle is borne by the lower arm of the feed-roll framewhile the upper arm is'being forced upwardly against the spring, thuseffecting prompt separation of the feed rolls without changing thestraining relations at the hinged or pivoted connections between thefeed-roll frame and the main frame.

After describing one of my improved machines in detail the featuresdeemed novel will be duly specified in appropriate clauses of claimhereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates one of my improvedpouncing-machines in end elevation; Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.Fig. 3 is a front side elevation of the same. Fig. at is a side View ofthe feed-rolls and their frame detached from the main frame and with thetreadle and its draft-rod in position.

The main frame A of the machine somewhat resembles the frames of certainof my prior machines in that it embodies two side plates a a, each ofwhich is much higher at one end than at the other. These plates arefirmly coupled by means of bolts and a front end plate a and a basetie-plate a (clearly shown in Fig. 2), said frame being specially strongand rigid, in view of the high speed at which such machines areoperated. The side plates at their narrow or low ends affordbox-bearings for a main driving-shaft B, carrying driving belt-pulleys,fast and loose, as at band b, also a large beltpulley b and at one end,outside of the adjacent side plate, there are smaller cone-pulleys 11 Acounter-shaft O has its bearings in rigidly-mounted hangers c c,suspended from the two side plates, said shaft being parallel with themain shaft, but in a lower plane, and it car lies at one end conebelt-pulleys b in line with the other cone-pulleys b and it also has abroad-faced belt-pulley b centrally located thereon. Another shaft Dcarries at one end a pouncing-cylinder E, the latter being projectedlaterally beyond the front side plate a of the main frame.

The pouncing-cylinder shaft D has extensive box-bearings afforded by thetop of the front end frame-plate a and is provided with a smallbelt-pulley b", which is driven from the large pulley b on the maindriving-shaft, thus providing for operating the pouncingcylinder E athigh speed.

Beneath the pouncing-cylinder there is a hat or felt support orpouncing-bed F, which is controlled by a treadle F and thrust-rod f,with respect of its movements toward and from the pouncingcylinder,substantially as in the machine of my Letters Patent No. 148,680, thesame old means for angularly adjusting the bed and also for restrictingits upward movement being here employed, and hence they need not bespecially described.

The pair of feed-rolls G G cooperate with the pouncing-cylinder E,substantially as in my old machine of Patent No. 148,680, but theirreorganization in this machine involves a novel combination andarrangement of feedroll-driving mechanism and also a novel combinationand arrangement of treadle mechanism for promptly opening or separatingthe feed-rolls for enabling the ready introduction of a hat-body or ofsuch fiat felt disks as are now employed in the manufacture of certainstyles of ladies and childrens hats. The feedrolls have shafts g and g,which are carried in a feed-roll frame H, which is separately shown inFig. 4. This frame consists of a lower arm h and an upper arm 6. The

lower arm 71- has hearings in which the feedroll shaft g is journaled,and at its rear end said arm is provided with a pair of vertical hingeears or lugs h h. The upper arm 2' at its rear end is hinged to thelower arm, as at i, by means of a horizontal lateral pivot, which isvertically adjustable by means of the hand-wheel bolt i as in the oldmachine of Patent No. 148,080.

The feed-roll frame as a whole is hinged to the main frame by means ofthe hinge-ears 72, 71, and a vertical rod or stud 7:, which is movablein that it is carried upon the inner end of a horizontal elbow plate orarm which is in turn centrally pivoted upon a stud at 70 mounted upon abracket 7r, projecting inwardly from (and as a part of) the front endplate a of the main frame. The outer end of the elbow-plate L isprovided with a hand-wheel screw-clamp at k, which engages with apivoted segmental slotted locking-plate k thus providing for advancingor retiring the feed-roll frame longitudinally, as in my old. machine ofPatent No. 148,680; another pivoted locking-plate and hand-wheel nut atZ, provided for adjusting the outer end of the feed-roll frame towardand from the pouncing-cylinder, also as in said old machine.

The two feed-roll shafts g g are directly coupled together by the twogear wheels g 9 as in my old machine of Patent No. 148,680, and, as insaid machine, the upper shaft carries a belt-pulley at its inner end,but instead of being arranged to be driven by belting from a shaftremote from the machine this belt-pulley b is located above thebroad-faced belt-pulley b on the counter-shaft C, and the two areoperatively connected by a crossed belt at. This novel organization ofthe directly-gcared feed-roll shafts, their frame, the counter-sh aft,and these belt-pulleys provides for a perfect transmission of power tothe feed-rolls, regardless of the necessary longitudinal and lateralvariations in the position of said frame with reference to the mainframe. As will be seen in Fig. 2, the feed-roll belt-pulley b overliesthe wide-faced counter-shaft pulley Z), and that however varied inposition the feed-roll frame may be the relations of the belt on to itstwo pulleys will remain substantially the same. The cooperating sets ofcone-pulleys Z2 and b on the counter-shaft and main shaft provide forvarying the speed of the feed-rolls, which is a matter of materialconsequence, inasmuch as certain lines of felted goods may with safetybe much more rapidly presented to the pouncing-cylinder than other kindsof goods, whereas in my old machines but one rate of feeding speed wasprovided for.

As thus far described, no mention has been made of the means which causethe feed-rolls to forcibly bite upon and take feeding control of aninterposed hat-body or other piece of felted material. It is importantthat these rolls should operate under yielding pressure,

and this has heretofore been provided for in some of my prior machinesby means of weights, asin my Letters Patent No. 182,908, and in othersby means of springs, as in my Letters Patent No. 148,680.

In my present machine I employ springcontrolled feed-rolls, because theyoperate variably in biting harder upon a thick body of felt than upon athinner body, this being desirable in view of the fact that thepouncing-cylinder in ordinary operations will be made to more forciblyengage with a thick piece or portion of felttha-n with a thin piece orportion, the usual stop adjustment of the pouncing-bed being such as tosecure properpouncing of the thinnest piece or portion of felt to apredetermined thickness, it being well known that in hat-bodies, forinstance, some portions thereof are considerably thicker than otherportions, and also that similar variations occur in other felted goods,not only in the same piece, but as between separate pieces of the samelot, all of which had been made as nearly alike as was practicable.

As clearly shown in the drawings, and es pecially in Figs. 3 and 4, thelower arm h of the feed-roll frame carries a vertical straplink I, whichoverlies the upper arm t of said frame and is pivoted at 7% to the twosides of lower arm. A hand-wheel bolt n occupies a hole in the top ofthe strap and is at its lower end provided with a suitable seat on topof the upper arm 2'. On the bolt n a heavy rubber spring is carried,which at its top abuts against the under side of the overlying top ofthe strap-link I and has its seat on a washer adj ustably supported by anut 77. on a threaded portion of the bolt '12, so that by turning thisnut one way or the other the spring will be caused to bear with greateror lesser force upon the upper arms, or, otherwise stated, cause theupper feed-roll to variably bear upon the lower roll or upon interposedbodies of felt to be pounced. It is now to be understood that thisorganization of the strap-link and the spring is the same as wasemployed in my old machine of Patent No. 148,680, but in that machine noprovision was made for opening or separating the feed-rolls except as amatter of mere adjustment, whereas in my present machine I have the samecapacity for adjustment, coupled with means for promptly separating oropening and closing said feed-rolls, so that hat-bodies or pieces offelt of various forms may be readily and promptly inserted between therolls and removed therefrom. A similar special control of the feed-rollswas provided for by me in the machine disclosed in my Letters Patent No.182,908, but in that machine vibratory pouncing-plates were employedinstead of a pouncing-cylinder, and in that machine, as hereinbeforestated, the feed-rolls were forced together by means of a weight insteadof a spring, and for that reason it was practicable to lift the upperroll, its shaft, and feed-roll arm by means of a treadle connecteddirectly ITO with said upper arm by a thrust rod or link, and anothersimilar rod from the same treadle simultaneously lifted the upperpouncingplate and its head from the lower plate.

As hereinbefore indicated, the lifting of a weight controlledfeed-roll-frame arm by means of a treadle and a thrust-rod directlyconnected with said frame-arm involves a different mode of operationfrom what would result with an upper arm controlled by a spring, asdescribed, because in the one case the upper arm and its weight can belifted and lowered without in anymanner straining the lower arm and itshinged connections at the vertical movable rod or stud. On the otherhand, with the spring-controlled arm and a direct lifting connection, asbetween the treadle, the thrustrod, and the upper arm,

no lifting action could occur, except in proportion as the alreadyheavily-adjusted spring might be compressed, and such compression couldnot occur at all until after the lower arm had been fully and heavilystrained upwardly, with a resulting variation in the supportingrelations of the vertical hinge-joint on v the movable rod or stud.During such changes, the machine being in rapid operation, seriousobjectionable vibration of the feed-roll frame and its several hinged orpivotal connections would inevitably be encountered, and hence thefrequent intermitting variations in thus straining the entire feedrollframe and varying the relations at its hinged connections would involvenot only a useless expenditure of force at the treadle, but also unduewear and tear of the machine. It will be obvious that any unduevibration of the feed-rolls, due to undue wear or straining at thehinged connections, would, while in service, be conducive to irregularoperation by the pouncing-cylinder and a more or less irregular surfaceon the felt pounced.

In my present machine,as specially shown in Fig. at, the lowerfeed-roll-frame arm h carries a lever 13, pivoted at p and coupled atits short arm with the upper frame-arm t' by a thrust rod or link p andthe long end of the lever 7) is connected with the treadle K by a drafteven more solid, firm, and fixed with respect of its relations to themain frame during the lifting and lowering movements of the upper armthan it is while no pressure is applied to the treadle.

My improved machine is quite compact and is specially durable. It ishighly efiicient as to its capacities for performing good work, forrapid operation, and for variations in service; also as to the saving oftime in accurately placing hat-bodies or other felted material withincontrol of the feed-rolls, and in removing the same therefrom; and,still further, while being operated at specially high speed there is aminimum of vibration and little liability of its several adjustingconnec tions becoming loosened.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a hat-pouncing machine, the combination in asuitable frame, of a conical pouncing-cylinder and its shaft mounted inthe upper portion of said frame; a counter-shaft located in the lowerpart of said frame; a feedroll frame hinged on a vertical pivot at itsrear end above the counter-shaft; a pair of conical feed-rolls on shaftsone above the other, carried in said hinged frame and directly coupledby gearing; a pulley on the inner end of the upper feed-roll shaft,overlying and directly belted to the counter-shaft, and a main shaftbelted directly with the counter-shaft, and with the pouneing-cyliudershaft, substantially as described.

2. In a pouncing-machine, a main frame; a feed-roll frame hingedupon avertical. stud at its inner end to the main frame, and consisting of anupper and a lower arm coupled together near said hinge-stud by ahorizontal lateral hinge-joint; a strap-link attached to the lower arm,and overlying the upper arm, and a controlling-spring interposed betweenthe top of said strap and the upper arm, in combination with a leverpivoted to the lower arm of the feed-roll frame, and pivotally connectedat one'end, to the upper arm of said frame by means of a thrust bar, anda treadle, connected with the other end of said lever, by means of adraft-link, substantially as and for the purposes specified. 1

RUDOLF EICKEMEYER. lVitnesses:

TH. XV. OSTERHELD, JAMES S. FITCH.

